Road guard



June 26, 1928. v 1,675,144

F, w. SOMMER ROAD GUARD Filed Dec. 7, 1925 Patented June 26, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

P. 'W. SOMMER, DECEASED, LATE OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS, BY ELIZABETH G. SOMMER, BEN- JAMIN L. SOMMER, AND WILLIAM H. SOMMER, EXECUTORS, OI PEOBIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO KEYSTONE STEEL & WIRE COMPANY, OF SOUTH BABTONVILLE, ILLI- NOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Rom GUARD.

Application filed December This invention has reference to road guards, and it has for its principal object to provide such a guard for the dangerous places along the sides of the modern hard road which will prevent a car, in the event of its skidding or for similar causes, from leaving the road but hold it to its course on the road, and which is amply strong to hold the weight of the car, thus eliminating all danger to the occupants and reducing the possibility of damage to life and property, to a minimum.

The invention has for a further object to provide a guard for the sides of the hard I roads, comprising a plurality of rigid upright posts, to each of which are connected one or more struts disposed transversely to the roadway and extending from the posts toward the sides of the pavement, and tosaid struts are connected hea cables of suitable materials; said cables being so held by the ends of the struts that when a car engages the cable or cables it will slide along the cables without coming into contact with the posts or getting caught on the struts.

The invention has for a further and more specific object to construct the struts-from strips of fiat metal, by cutting and folding such strips to produce channel members for securement to the posts and with bending portions to embrace the cable, and so beveled to prevent parts of a car from being caught thereon.

That the invention may be more fully understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the present description, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which Figure 1 is a partial cross-section of a modern hard road showing a rigid upright post with struts and cablesin position and. in dotted lines the wheel of an automobile coming into contact with thecables;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a metal blank prior to its being shaped into a strut;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a strut whenshaped and attached to a post;

Figure 4 is a face view of the cable'engaging portion of the strut shown in Figure Figure 5 is a l-enlarged" detail view illus- 7, 1925. Serial No. 73,824.

trating a part of a p0st, strut connected thereto and cable attached to the strut;

Figure 6 is an end view of Figure 5, and

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail, inplan, showing the beveled ends of the strut embracing the cable.

Like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the figures.

The extension of the hard road system over the country has developed a new roblem. It is being generally recognized t at it is desirable to eliminate steep grades, and this has made it necessary to use cuts and fills wherever the country is rolling.

In order to obtain the benefit of the hard road, the public desires to travel at accelerated speed. Whenever the road bed is on a fill that is elevated considerably above the land adjacent to the road, there is considerable danger that automobiles may run or slide off the road, and this type of accident is taking a heavy toll in life and causing many serious injuries, to say nothing of the property damage.

Hards roads are very dangerous when there is ice or sleet on the surface, but even during the summer months there are many times when the pavement is very slick after a rain. Drivers also, at times, find it necessary to turn off to one side in order to avoid a collision with another car. It is becoming more and more apparent, therefore, that an eflicient road guard, adapted to prevent cars from leaving the grade is absolutely necessary in connection with the modern hard road. Various efiiorts have been made to solve this problem, but none so far as known, have given a satisfactory solution, largely because of the cost and the more important reason that they offerobstructions which, when engaged by: the car will cause it to swing around or turn the car over, with disastrous results. a It is aimed, therefore, with this improved road guard to provide one at small cost, amply strong to withstand the contact of the car and so constructed to hold the carin the direction of its travel and without causing it to be swung around or turned over.

This road guard comprisesa' plurality of posts 1 supported ur a rigid upright position,

tended in the direction of the hard road A and transversely thereto. Such post may be at such distances apart, and the number and length of the struts made to conform to the requirements of the State engineer or State highway department. Connecting corresponding struts 2 on the posts are cables 3. Each cable being made of whatever diameter designated and consisting of as many wires or strands thought desirable or necessary to accomplish'the purposes sou ht. No limitation is placed on the kin or number of posts, number or size of the struts or the design or character of the cable.

For practical purposes itis preferred that the posts 1 shall be of metal and likewise the struts 2 and the cable made of at least seven No. 9 wires, altho the cable could be made of a slightly heavier core surrounded by eight No. 9 wires not shown, or of some other substantial character. The strut 2, shown in the figures, is made preferably from a metal blank 4 having openings 5 punched or Stamped therein through which securing means, such as rivets 6 may be employed to firmly attach such struts to the posts 1.

The opposite longitudinal edges 7 of the blank 4 are cut so as to converge toward each other, see Figure 2 so that when the blank is bent along the lines a, a a channel structure is formed, the web of which is preferably broad at its attaching end to the post and narrow at its opposite or cable receiving end. The bent over sides of the blank provide strengthening flanges, and their forward ends are severed from the web along the lines I), b, and tapered off, as at 0, c, with beveled edges (1, 05, forming oppositel tapered fingers leaving the narrow shou der or strip 6, of the web which is bent back at right angles and slightly curved,

. see Figures 3 and4, to form or provide a back wall or rest or seat for the cable 3 between the overlying ends or oppositely tapered fingers of the flanges, see Figure 4, the fingers are bent toward each other and over or around the cable 1, to secure the same within the formed end of the strut, as shown in the figures, and especially Figures 6 and 7 The tapered or inclined edges 0, o of the flan s meetin and lying in juxtaposition, as s own in igures 6 and 7, with the beveled edges d, d exposed on either side of the forward end of the strut over which part of a car engaging therewith an ride withease over the end of the strut and along the 'cable enclosed therein.

It should be ap arent from an examination of the drawings that a car strlkmg against a cable or cables will slide along the same, in the general direction of the road without coming into contact with the posts, and that the curved and beveled ends of the struts will prevent a car or parts thereof from becoming caught on the struts.

What is claimed is 1. A road guard, including a post, a stru secured thereto comprising a flanged web, said web formed'with a shoulder rovidin a back wall for a cable, and the anges 0 said web having tapered ends arranged to embrace a cable with the tapered portions of the ends in juxtaposition to present a smooth exterior and the sides of said ends being beveled.

2, A strut for a road guard, comprising a metal blank adapted to be bent over on convergin lines to provide a flanged web, correspon ing end portions of the web and flanges severed along lines to provide a back rest on the web and cable embracing ends of said flanges with meeting edges 3. A road guard, including a post, a strut having one end secured to said post and extending outwardly therefrom, said strut having its free end s lit to form a pair of oppositely tapered n ers, a transverse shoulder on the strut a jacent the fingers, and a cable disposed between said fingers, and engaging the shoulder, said fingers being bent about said cable to hold the latter in engagement with said shoulder.

4. A road uard, including a post, a strut of substantizfily U-shaped cross-section secured to the post, said strut having an end formed to provide a pair of oppositely tapered fingers, and a cable disposed between said fingers, the fingers being bent about the cable to secure the latter to the strut.

5. A road guard, including a post, a strut secured tosaid post, a shoulder having a convex surface formed on the end of the strut at right angles to the longitudinal axis thereof, a cable engaging said shoulder, and a pair of oppositely tapered fingers formed on the strut adjacent the shoulder and being engaged about the cable to secure same to the strut.

6. A road guard, including a post, a channel bar secured to said post and having diverging side walls, a shoulder bent outwardly from said bar and disposed at right angles thereto adjacent the outer end of the bar, a cable engaging said shoulder, and a pair of oppositely tapered fingers formed on the bar adapted to engage about said cable to secure the same.

7. A road guard including a post, a cable, and a strut secured at one end to the post and extending outwardly therefrom, said strut having an integral part thereof extending outwardl from one side. thereof at substantially rig t an les thereto at its opposite end to form a ack wall for the from points above an below the back wall and bent in opposite directions to engage the front of the cable thereby to clamp the latter against said back wall.

8. A road uard including a post, a cable and a strut of substantially channel form secured to the post and extending transversely therefrom, ,the ,outer end portion of the web of the strut being bent outwardly at an angle to form a back wall for the cable and the outer end portions of the sides of the strut being bent in opposite directions to engage the front of the cable thereby to clamp the latter against the back wall.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

ELIZABETH G. SOMME BENJAMIN L. SOMMER, WILLIAM H. SOMMER,

Eweawtors of the Estate of P. W. Sam/mar,

Deceased. 

